1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bale stack wagons, and more particularly to a method to convert a small bale agricultural stack wagon to big bale agricultural stack wagon, and to a stack wagon which converts for handling either large bales or small bales.
2. Background of the Invention
One conventional automatic three table bale wagon which received widespread commercial acceptance is the three table bale wagon illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,127, issued on Aug. 19, 1958 in the name of Gordon E. Grey. Other bale wagons of the same general type utilizing varying approaches to the same problem are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,796, issued Feb. 1, 1983, in the name of Leon W. Wilson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,488, issued in the name of Amos G. Hill, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,651, issued Mar. 9, 1976 in the name of Allen B. Neely, Jr. The improvements in conventional automatic three table bale wagons are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,814, issued Aug. 6, 1968, in the name of Gordon E. Grey; U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,652, issued Mar. 8, 1976 in the name of L. Dennis Buller, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,771, issued Dec. 23, 1975 in the name of Lee D. Buller, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,695, issued May 20, 1980 in the name of Edward J. Wynn, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,792, issued May 27, 1980 in the name of Edward J. Wynn, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,231, issued May 9, 1978 in the name of Randall E. Zpser, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,334, issued Aug. 20, 1996 in the name of Albert F. Baril. The conventional automatic three table bale wagons all load, handle, transport and stack small bales ranging in size from 14xe2x80x3xc3x9723xe2x80x3xc3x9736xe2x80x3 to 16xe2x80x3xc3x9718xe2x80x3xc3x9746xe2x80x3, depending on moisture content and type of vegetative material.
One conventional automatic three table bale wagon which has achieved widespread commercial acceptance, is the three table wagon illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,127 issued on Aug. 19, 1958, in the name of Gordon Grey. Other such bale wagons of the same general type utilizing varying approaches to the same problem are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,796, issued Jun. 16, 1981, in the name of Amos G. Hill, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,651, issued Mar. 9, 1976, in the name of Allen B. Neely, Jr., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,334 issued Aug. 14, 1995, in the name of Albert F. Baril. The conventional automatic three table bale wagons (hereinafter collectively referred to as xe2x80x9cbale wagonxe2x80x9d) are either self-propelled or drawn by a vehicle.
Recent developments in the field of agriculture have resulted in the use of balers to form big bales in the order of 3 feetxc3x974 feetxc3x978 feet or 4 feetxc3x974 feetxc3x978 feet, weighing between 1,000 lbs. and 2,200 lbs. (hereinafter xe2x80x9cbig balexe2x80x9d) depending on the moisture content and type of vegetative material. The big bales are considered a more efficient and economical way of handling cut hay and straw. One big bale is equal in weight to 16 to 24 small bales. Big bales produce a more compact, weather-tight stack than do conventional bales. Big bales also make more efficient and compact loads when shipping. The big bales require less twine or baling wire than do a comparable volume of conventional bales.
Despite the efficiency of using big bales in agriculture, the cost of acquiring a big bale wagon to handle big bales such as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,691, issued Aug. 13, 1965, in the name of Marvin E. Miguel assigned to J.A. Freeman and Sons, is substantial. The present invention allows small bale wagons like the Grey type, including the self-propelled conventional automatic three table bale wagon, for example, including New Holland automatic self-propelled small bale stack wagons to be converted into a big bale wagon at a fraction of the cost of a new big bale wagon like the Freeman bale wagon.
A general object of the invention is to provide a method to convert a small bale stack wagon into a stack wagon which may be operated by a single person and which will load, order and off-load big bales of hay.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus for use with a small bale wagon which will arrange big bales of hay in a compact, weather-tight stack.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus to mount on a bale wagon which will arrange big bales of hay in a stable stack.
A further object of the instant invention involves mounting the apparatus onto conventional automatic bale wagons manufactured by New Holland North America, Inc., New Holland having a hauling capacity of at least five (5) tons to load, transport and stack big bales.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bale wagon which can be converted to handle either small or large bales.
Various other objects and advantages which are attained by the invention will become more fully apparent as the description which follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The above-mentioned Grey type bale wagon has a first table for receiving bales from a bale loader or pickup assembly (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cfirst tablexe2x80x9d). The bales are picked up from the ground by a short chute, which lifts them to a first table mounted transverse behind the cab. The first table accumulates a predetermined number of bales, typically two, in a transverse row. An adjacent second table successively receives rows of bales from the first table and accumulates a plurality of such rows, for example four, five or six rows, in a horizontal layer or tier. This plurality of rows is commonly referred to as a tier of bales. The third table, or load bed, successively receives the tiers from the second table and accumulates a plurality of such tiers, for example seven, held vertically to form a stack of bales in a block shaped configuration. Once a stack of this nature has been formed on the load bed, it may be either tansported or unloaded to the ground. In the case of the latter, the load bed is pivoted to an upright position for depositing the stack on the ground with the first tier of bales that was formed on the second table becoming the lowermost tier in contact with the ground and the last formed tier being the uppermost or top tier of the stack.
The invention involves removing the small bale lifting chute, and installing a conveyor for lifting the large bales. The conveyor bypasses the first table, which is deactivated or removed. The second table is also modified to handle and form a tier of big bales. The modification is to cover the second table surface with a reinforcing surface, which also has a big bale pusher blade enclosed in a protective housing. Extra hydraulic cylinders are added to lift the bales from the second table to the load bed, and the L-shaped arms of the second table are reinforced. This process can be easily reversed, so that one bale stacker can be used to handle either large or small bales.